


The Empress's Con

by theBitchTornado



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Con Artists, Deal Exchange, Death, Gen, Major Character Backstory, Ogres, Strong Female Ruler, overthrow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 12:06:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6078705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theBitchTornado/pseuds/theBitchTornado
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle was taught from a young age that even girls could be smart and brave. Who was the woman who did this? Empress Josephine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Empress's Con

The bride to be was staring at her reflection when one of the guards coughed.  
“Lady Josephine, Sir Maurice and his daughter, Lady Belle, are here to see you.” Lady Josephine smiled at the mirror.  
“Good, let them in.” Her tan complexion sparkled in her white gown. She smiled once more and then turned around to meet her visitors. Sir Maurice bowed low and Lady Belle curtseyed.  
“My Lady,” he intoned. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your summons?” Lady indicated with her hand that they may rise.  
“Well, as I am to become Empress, I must have a retinue of ladies- in-waiting. I am here to inform you that your bid for Lady Belle to join my household has been accepted. She’s a bright young girl, and I would be very happy to have her attend me.”   
Sir Maurice looked ecstatic and Lady Belle looked proud. Lady Josephine smiled and continued. “But as you know, there is a requirement, one I’m sure you’ll be able to agree to.” Suddenly, he froze up.  
“As she will be an Empress’s lady, she must be educated. She cannot be another mindless girl, only looking for a husband.” She turned to Belle. “Lady Belle, do you know how to read and write?”  
“A little bit, My Lady,” the young girl answered.   
“Then you must be taught to be better,” Josephine pronounced. “And I will pay for it myself, Sir Maurice.” At this, he sputtered.  
“But that’s preposterous! She’s a girl! All she will be in life is a lady-in-waiting, and then a wife and mother! What use is an extensive and expensive education of use for her?”  
“What use? As my lady-in-waiting, she will not only have to keep me company, but also advise me. Yes, she’s a young girl, but when she’s older, she will have to. I will not be a consort Empress. I will help my husband to rule. He has his advisors, and I shall have my own. Not only that, but she will have to help her husband when she marries. Do you not agree, Sir Maurice?”  
His face was beet red and Lady Belle looked confused, poor child. Lady Josephine looked regally at both of them.   
“Yes, I agree, My Lady, but what man wants an overly educated woman? I did, but not many men like that sort of thing.”  
“I assure you, Sir Maurice, that many men do want clever wives. The Emperor does, and here I am, a girl that is the daughter of a ship captain. What do you say to that?” Lady Josephine sat near her fireplace. She gestured to Lady Belle, who walked over to Josephine shyly.  
“Yes, My Lady?” Belle asked.   
“Well, Lady Belle, how would you like a formal education?” She smiled; children were little darlings to her. She hoped to have her own soon. Lady Belle smiled, and curtseyed. “Whatever My Lady orders.” The soon to be Empress was gratified.   
“Good, then let me show you something. Sir Maurice, some with us.” She took Lady Belle’s hand, and led her to a great library. It was a rectangular room, with dozens of bookshelves. On one end, there was a great table; young women, her future ladies-in-waiting, were reading there silently. On the other end, there was a roaring fire. Josephine took Belle to the nearest book shelf, pulled down a book, and handed it to her young protégé.   
“There, Lady Belle, this is yours. Every day, I would like you to read here. Read whatever catches your fancy. You can read whenever you tutor lets you go or whenever I don’t need you. I will only need you twice a day and your tutor will teach you only in the mornings. Is that understood?” Belle nodded, she was already drawn to the volume. Josephine released her, and she immediately went to a chair and began to read. Josephine, satisfied, turned to Sir Maurice. “Come with me, there’s much to discuss.”  
***  
And so began the Empress’s reign. She was married and crowned the next day. For the first week, she established her household and schedule, settled in, and began overseeing her duties. By the time the week ended, she felt as if she was always the Empress. But with that, she also found out one giant hole in her new way of life.  
Her husband was a fool.  
Emperor Nicholas was handsome, but what good was handsomeness if he couldn’t rule an Empire? All those policies he enacted were created by his advisors. He was a spendthrift and a dabbler. He had no passions but for food, drink, and women. And he only married her for her beauty. The advisors had wanted her cleverness.   
She grew to hate him and his ways quickly. Luckily, she had a child to bring up: Belle. She loved the little girl and took an especial interest in her education. The little girl was charming and talented. She wasn’t an advisor, oh no, but still, she was an important member of the household. She wouldn’t be ready to advise until much later, but still, Josephine cared for her above all else.   
Two years after her marriage, she helped to write a contract of betrothal for Lady Belle and Sir Kingston’s son: Sir Gaston.   
With every passing month, she grew to become the most powerful person at court. She knew that Nicholas hated her with a passion, as she now had the most sway in governing the realm. He wanted to get rid of her, and she wanted the same.   
She concocted a plan.  
She sent for the Dark One.   
She sat down to wait for him with many letters when he suddenly appeared.  
“What do you want, dearie?” he called out, annoyed. Josephine looked over to him, regally raising her eyebrow.  
“It’s Empress to you now, Dark One,” she said.  
“Yes, yes, of course,” he hastily said, bowing his odd bow. “What do you want this time?”  
“I need your help in getting rid of my husband.”  
“Already?” He pretended to be surprised. “It’s been what? Two years?” He giggled. “What? You decided that being Empress wasn’t all you thought it would be?” He examined her jewels, playing with them. “Is it another woman? Or…”  
“Enough!”   
“Of course, Your Majesty.” He bowed with a sarcastic look on his face.  
“I love being Empress,” she said. “My husband is the problem.”  
“Oh yes, of course! That’s what every woman says.” He posed, and then rapidly turned around and pointed.   
“But what is so horrible about having the power to manipulate the foolish Emperor, of slowly destroying his reputation among his people?”  
“That’s why I sent you for.”  
He giggled. “Oh goody! Little Empress wants to do something.”  
“I have a plan.”  
He suddenly appeared at her shoulder. “That’s what every woman says, dearie!”  
“I do, Rumplestiltskin. I have something you want. I want to make a deal.” She walked behind him. “I know you like deals.” He smiled slyly and looked at her. “Now, we’re getting somewhere.”   
“I have the Holy Grail. My husband’s chief knight found it in a cave about a year ago. It has the power to strengthen any potion for up to ten times the original strength. It can also replicate magical items.”  
He looked very interested. “Any magical items? Even say, a magic bean?”   
“Of course, and it even makes them stronger.”  
“How strong?”  
“I don’t know. But if you do a favor for me, then you can find out,” Josephine said, smiling at his longing for that cup. She heard rumors about his son. She procured it especially for this deal.   
“Well, then dearie, get on with it!” He made an impatient gesture.  
“I heard of two tailors who travel the realms weaving ‘invisible cloth’. They say that the only truly clever people can see for what it is. Can you bring them to me?”  
He snickered. “You gave me the Holy Grail for two con men? What in the world would you do with them?”  
She straightened her back and narrowed her eyes. “That’s my business. Do you want the Holy Grail? Or should I find another person to procure them for me?”  
“I’m sorry, Majesty. Of course I will bring them to you. Please forgive me.” He looked terrified that he wouldn’t get the goblet.   
“Thank you, and here’s the Grail.” He summoned it into his vest and he was gone. She went back to work.  
He delivered on his promise and three days later two fat men were led into her chamber. They bowed very low and she walked around them, inspecting them.   
“So you are the men who claim to make invisible cloth?” she asked.  
“Oh we do, Your Majesty,” one of them piped up. “We make beautiful cloth that only the cleverest can see. We can…”  
She stopped them.  
“No need to sell me on it. I know that this is a trick.” She could see the horror on their faces. “It’s alright. I know you are con men, but that is exactly why I brought you here. I want you, at my expense, to present yourself tomorrow morning and offer to make the Emperor an entire wardrobe. Spin your tale, and I will convince him to agree. Then you will proceed at your con and I will do the rest. Understood?”   
They thanked her profusely, unable to believe their luck.   
“Oh and one thing more,” she continued.   
“Anything Your Majesty, anything!” they cried.  
“You will tell no one of this plan. Do you understand?” They nodded.   
“Then you are dismissed. My guards will take you to your rooms.” They bowed once more and walked backward out of the room.  
They left. The plan was set into motion. The next day, she was summoned to the Emperor’s side. He was drinking out of a golden cup and belching. She wrinkled her nose in disgust at his behavior and turned to the conmen. She pretended to be surprised.  
“Who are they, Nicholas?” He glowered at her.  
“These are the tailors everyone has been talking about. They can make invisible clothing. They say that only the cleverest can see it. Do they check out?” She smiled at the two men.  
“Well, show me a sample.” She kept her voice welcoming and light. They pretended to produce a sample and she pretended to receive and examine the article. She turned her head this way and that, she pretended to touch it and rotate it. The court cooed along with her, pretending to see the splendid patterns and colors. They talked amongst themselves discussing it as if they knew what Josephine was holding.   
Finally, the Empress “handed” the “cloth” back to the charlatans. She smiled up at her husband. He looked bored.  
“Well, husband?” she asked. He said, “I liked it. I think I shall order the cloak with the cloth.” She gasped.   
“Well why not more than that?” She urged him. “This greatness deserves to be bought and used. Think of it! By one glance, a person can see whether or not they are worthy of our attention. We will know who is clever and who is not!” The Emperor liked that plan, even though he could not see the cloth. He wondered who could, besides his wife.   
She convinced him to pay a fortune on invisible cloth. And with her silencing bribes, the two tailors were rich enough to retire. They were situated inside a giant apartment where they “worked” all day and night. The Emperor sent in the finest materials, only to have that material rejected for the “project”. They claimed that they didn’t have any use for it, but they packed it away for themselves into their trunks as additional gifts and payment. Nicholas didn’t think any of it.   
Their doors were open and anyone who wanted could come in and observe them. And observe them they did. As nobody could see the cloth, they told fantastical tales about its beauty and design. They lavished praise on the two tailors and thought themselves very clever indeed, to appear clever.   
The only courtier who didn’t pretend was Lady Belle. She came up to the Empress and confessed she couldn’t see the cloth. The ten year old girl trembled. Josephine laughed.  
“Belle, there’s no cloth.” Belle brightened up, but then frowned.  
“Then why did you encourage the Emperor to buy it?” Josephine smiled at her favorite lady.  
“Just wait and see. It will all come to you in time.” Lady Belle curtseyed at that answer. There was nobody she admired more, other than her mother. She asked for the right to go to the library. Empress Josephine gave her permission with a wave of her hand.  
After a month of work, the two tailors called for the Emperor and had him “try on” the clothes. He couldn’t see them, so he lavished praise on them and sent for Josephine. She feigned awe.  
“Why husband! You look so handsome!” He puffed up his naked chest, thinking that at least his clever wife saw the cloth. He then lavished even more gifts upon the two tailors, who of course thanked their Majesty on the honor bestowed upon them. After that, the Emperor decided to parade around his realm in his new clothes, paying the two men another small fortune to make more clothes for him. He even tried to get Josephine a couple of dresses, a sign of goodwill, but she declined gracefully, he thought resentfully, saying that only the Emperor had any right to wear that special cloth. This made him even more proud, as now he was thought to be even cleverer than his wife.  
That didn’t last long. Once word spread of the cost of the clothing and the bad harvests, the people were angry with him. They were scared of him also, knowing should they rebel, he would end all resistance with his army.   
The Empress continued as before, charming the crowds, helping the poor by employing a young man named Robin Hood to steal riches from some of the unbearable lords of her court, alleviating taxes, doing all she could to aid those who suffered. The counselors listened now exclusively to her, knowing that if they didn’t, Robin Hood would visit their treasury.   
The final stage of the plan began. The money she had paid to the con men was mostly returned to her, as a sign of goodwill from them for making them rich beyond their wildest dreams. She also now controlled all the funds of the state, and positioned them into her purse. She spread the word that every able bodied solider was needed in case of a civil war. Droves arrived; they all hated the Emperor and his new clothes. They loved the Empress and her cleverness and charity. They wanted her to rule independently.  
They began training and meanwhile, Josephine and the older ladies wrote up a declaration of abdication. Every lady-in-waiting signed, including the youngest, Lady Belle. If he did not sign it, then they would storm all of his palaces and take his gold and she would break him.  
She gathered all of her ladies and led them into the Emperor’s chambers. He was drinking in his underclothes, huddled by the fire. He didn’t look up when she arrived.  
“The people hate you,” she said without preamble. “They are willing to give their lives to put me on your throne, to have me be the only ruler of this realm.” He appeared to have heard.  
“I will make this easy for you and will give you a way out. If you sign this,” she held up the document, “you will be able to live your days in peace. If you don’t then…”  
“Then what?” he snarled. “You’re going to kill me? My brothers? What?”  
“Then I will fight for my crown and publicly kill you when I win. Your brothers have already accepted me,” she said calmly. “It is your choice.” She held up the document and one of her ladies handed her a quill. She only had to wait a minute. Nicholas hated being Emperor. He gladly abdicated the crown.   
Empress Josephine won.   
She kept her word. She gave him a castle and let him eat and drink himself into a stupor every night.   
For the next 14 years, she ruled uncontested. The young man, Robin Hood, begged leave of her service and went off for Sherwood Forest. She married off many of her ladies and they stayed in her service, mostly. Sir Maurice requested his daughter back, to help her mother in something. Josephine regretfully let 15 year old Belle go home to her parents. She had many duties, and one thing she was grateful for was that Belle no longer required schooling and was free to marry Sir Gaston. Still, she missed her lady-in-waiting, and visited her often. She was saddened when Belle’s mother was killed by ogres, and attended the funeral.   
That’s when the ogre problem began. Once again, every able bodied soldier was sent for and they came for basic training. They were sent out and defeated. The Empire became one big void, a tiny bit remaining civilized. One regiment stood between them and destruction.   
Josephine decided to fight with her men. Everyone counseled against it.   
“What if you get killed?” one of them said.  
“Then I die with my people,” she shot back. “I am an able bodied woman, I can be a soldier. And I will be; I will save my people from death and destruction.” The counselor bowed and sent for the horses and armor.  
She led her troops for two days and then gave them her last speech.   
“My people! Today I see death and destruction and tomorrow we will arrive victorious. I am here, not because I want glory, but because I am your sovereign, and must give glory to you, the people. I am here to fight and die with you. I do not wish to die, I want to live and rebuild this realm, but if the Gods say I must end my life here, then I will. The ogres may be powerful, but we have power of our own: our hearts and our cause! You, the common soldier, have greater nobility in your little finger than they have in their bodies combined. I am proud to say that you are my troops and I will be as proud dead as I am here before you! Now let’s win and rebuild: for all of us!” The soldiers roared and went into battle.   
Most of them died. Empress Josephine was one of them.  
***  
Sir Maurice’s castle was teeming with activity. Messengers running to and fro. It interrupted a great betrothal dinner and Belle paced in her great yellow dinner dress, unsure of how to help. Her fiancé, Sir Gaston, was instructed in keeping her distracted. He was much too boring to do the job.  
“So, how is that book?” he asked, feigning interest in a great leather bound volume in her hand. She looked up surprised, smiled faintly and said: “Good.” She sat down and plopped the volume down on her lap, deep in thought. He sighed loudly.  
“You know, Belle, when you and I are married, you’ll have to stop reading so much.” He expected her to agree but she simply ignored him! Someone ran in and Belle looked up.  
“Lady Belle, Empress Josephine has fallen and your father has called up your tenants to fight the ogres coming this way!” Belle’s eyes welled up but she was a properly trained girl and pushed back her tears.  
She shut the volume and ran out of the room. Gaston ran after her.   
She went into the great hall and ran up to her father. A giant map was on the table, with several markers placed stragically.   
“Belle, I told you not to get involved!” Sir Maurice bellowed. Belle briefly curtseyed and turned towards the table. Gaston, cursing under his breath, stepped behind her.   
“We called upon the Dark One. The last village fell. People are in a panic.” Sir Maurice expected his daughter to faint, but she stayed strong.   
They waited for someone to announce the Dark One’s arrival and then suddenly, there was a poof! and a chuckle.  
“Looking for me, are we?” a voice said. Gaston, Maurice and Belle turned around.   
The Dark One had arrived.


End file.
